I purchased a battery through Sears for my riding mower. It was shipped to me without acid/water in the six chambers. There were no instructions for filling either. I can purchase the acid at an auto parts store, but how much do I put in the battery? Do I fill it with acid or combine a certain amount of acid and distilled water?
Before attempting to do either one of these it is necessary to make sure the battery was intended to be shipped this way. if it was there should be instructions for filling the battery correctly. if not then you need to contact Sears and get the information from them before attempting to do this yourself. If you can't find this information take the battery to an auto parts store and get the help you need to fill it correctly. If you don't fill it correctly this can void the warranty of the battery.
I've been having a problem with my riding mower. It's an older Craftsman DYT 4000 with a 18hp Briggs and Stratton engine model no 917.275640. I've tested the alternator and its putting out 28 ac volts and I also replaced the voltage regulator. Also I have two good batteries I switch back and forth between charging so I can use the mower. I'm lost on what else the problem could be. If anyone has any ideas please let me know.
Thanks.
If the alternator is good and you replaced the voltage regulator you need to now check and repalce the charging stator.
My Craftsman mower battery is dead after 2 uses. Is this normal? I had to push mow my yard today with a dead $1900 machine in my garage.
I have seen other posts that indicate this is an ongoing problem.I don't know the answer but your experience is similar to mine. I also had a Craftsman riding lawn mower. I'd bought it used, at a real good price, after a lawnmower shop refurbished it. At least twice a year, the battery died. I would have to buy a new battery. A few times, the tire went flat and they'd have to put on a new one. I loved doing the lawn in less time and getting to ride my "mowing go kart" as I called it.
I have a John Deere lawn tractor. The new batteries keep draining after three weeks. It is getting expensive. What could the problem be and how do I repair it?
I took it to the dealer and they said it ran fine. But after mowing twice the battery was drained.
It could be the alternator or voltage regulator.
Why won't my Murray riding lawn mower battery hold a charge?
You could have a faulty diode.
Check the connections on the solenoid to make sure they are clean and on there tight.
I have a 1963 IH Cub Cadet original lawn tractor and I just recently replaced all the wires and the 12 volt battery. I don't use it that much, but when I want to go and start it, it won't even turn over the engine once. I have to put a car charger on it and wait like 5 minutes and then it turns over just fine. But if I take it off the charger and try to start it it just dies really quickly.
You have to check all the wires running from and to the battery to make sure they are good.
well I did replace them all but I can use a continuity tester on them and look at a wiring diagram. But could the battery just be shot?
I replaced the battery on my Craftsman LT1000 mower and it worked just fine, but a week later the battery is dead. I turn the key to crank and it just clicks. What could be draining the battery so quickly?
On our tools that run off of battery power, we disconnect the battery after each use. It prevents this from happening as well as preventing possible conrousion damage to the tool.
This site provides tips on preserving battery life of mowers: knowhow.napaonline.com/
One advice that's good is to make sure the battery terminals are clean from residue - Corroded terminals can be messing up your battery. Also make sure that your battery does not require maintenance, such as checking water levels.
Last year it was working perfectly. After the first lawn cut I turned the tractor off. On the next use it was dead. I noticed the black negative battery cable was all messed up and melted. I bought a new cable and battery and it fired right up, but after each use the battery is dead and needs charge. Any suggestions? I have no way to take it to a shop nor do I have the money. I am living on SSD. It's not the battery. Help! It is an old, but in good shape, Poulan Hyrodrive.
By Roger B
My John Deere Sabre riding lawn mower battery keeps dying? I have changed the starter and the solenoid, but the battery keeps dying between uses. How can I find out if there is some short or if there is a constant drain on the battery?
By David
I have a Poulan pro rider. Something is draining the battery. I replaced it twice and I still have to charge every time we mow.
By Julie from MO
I have a Craftsman riding mower. Every time I use it after about 15 minutes of cutting, it cuts off. It drains the battery which I then have to recharge. I have replaced the battery, ignition switch, had the starter rebuilt, solenoid switch replaced, and seat wiring. Any suggestions?
By NS
Check the part called "Protection Wire Loop". This nothing more than a diode that allows the stator (from your starter unless your model has a full blown alternator) to send one half of the a/c electrical signal (IE: just the positive part of the the alternating current (a/c) sign-wave) back to the battery to charge it. It's a simple way for getting "dc" voltage from an ac source and therefore recharging the battery. IF the diode is bad the battery can't be recharged.
Look at a wiring diagram for your mower and it will probably be labeled something like "Charging System Output." It may even state the rating - IE: 3 Amp @ 3600 RPM.
It's a cheap (maybe as little as 10 cents) part at Radio Shack or order one online for a few bucks. It's an easy cheap thing to check for a fix. My diode had a part number of 1N5404. Hope that helps. Good luck.
In my previous answer I thought they were using the stator from the starter. This is incorrect. The stator is part of the overhead flywheel assy. However, the diode issue is still likely the problem. The diode on my mower was located in the wire harness on the right side at the back of the engine. Trace the wire coming from under the left side of the flywheel around the back of the engine. Begin to open the wire harness just before it joins into the main harness.
I apologize for the misinformation. I'm surprised ThriftyFun does not allow for editing ones own post. Hope that corrected information helps someone.
